


Sick Days

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fictober, Fluffy-ish, family fic, mulder is in charge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 14:37:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16620893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Scully is sick and Mulder has to take care of her and their baby daughter.





	Sick Days

“Okay, baby. It’s just you and me today. You’ve eaten, you’ve got a fresh diaper and we’ve got the shopping list mommy gave us. Ready?” His daughter stares at him with big eyes, probably not having understood a single word, but loving the sound of his voice.

“Mommy is sick,” Mulder says to Katie as he straps her into her car seat. She is busily chewing on two of her fingers, drooling onto her clothes and his hands. “She is going to be fine. Really. There is no need for you to worry, Katie.” Mulder stares at his daughter who, true to his words, doesn’t worry a bit. Unlike him. Mulder is more than worried. He’s known Scully for long and she’s never been this sick.

Except once. That is not something he wants to think about. At all.

Scully, as always, assured him that she is fine. Of course she is fine. When she’s not coughing. When she’s not being sick. When she’s not falling asleep while trying to eat. She says it’s the flu. Nothing else. Mulder knows she’s right. But it’s difficult to watch when he just can’t help her.

“Are you excited, Katie? We’re going to the supermarket!” He claps his hands together, pretends to be cheerful for his daughter. She giggles and mirrors him, making spit bubbles. He kisses her warm cheek before he gets into the driver seat. He wants to run these errands real quick and get back home to Scully.

They’re gone for less than hour. Katie is fussy when they get back, angrily rubbing her tired eyes. She needs a nap. Mulder could use one, too. Taking care of a baby at their age is not easy. But they’re managing quite well. As a team, anyway. Doing it alone? He’s beginning to feel lost.

Katie starts whimpering as he carries her inside along with their bags. Mulder sets the bags down in the kitchen and that’s when Katie really starts crying.

“Hey baby,” he coos in to her ear. “I’ll put you down in a second, hm? No need to cry.” But Katie doesn’t listen to him and cries harder, throwing a tiny fist against his chest.

“Nap time it is.” Mulder takes the squealing child upstairs, loses some of her clothes along the way. He’ll take care of it later. As much as he wants to check on Scully, he knows there is no time.

“You need another new diaper?” He says to Katie as he peels her out of the rest of her clothes. The baby’s face is red and exhausted. Mulder feels with her and hurries up. New diaper and new clothes on, Katie relaxes in his arms. Her eyes are heavy and she can barely hold them open. Mulder loves this moment. She trusts him, his daughter. Clutching his shirt, she lets her eyes close and falls asleep. Just like that.

As soon as he’s sure that Katie is out, he puts her in her crib. It’s hard to tear his eyes away from her, but he needs to check on Scully. His legs are weary as he walks over to the bedroom. Too many long nights, worrying about Scully, afraid he alone is not enough for their daughter. That he is going to screw her up in these few days - no wonder Scully keeps saying he’s crazy.

She is awake when he enters the bedroom. She’s still pale, still tired, but she’s smiling. Mulder crouches by her bedside, like a beggar hoping to pray. She cradles his cheek and he is so thankful to have her in his life.

“How are you feeling?” He asks her.

“Better,” she answers and he believes her. Her voice sounds clearer and stronger.

“I’m glad. I went shopping. Bought you all kinds of drugs.”

“Drugs?” She chuckles and he nods solemnly.

“Everything you put on the list.”

“Katie asleep?”

“Yeah. Did she wake you?”

“No, I was awake. I miss her, Mulder.”

“She’s just in the other room.”

“I know,” she sighs. “But I miss holding her, feeding her. Just being with her. I hate being sick, Mulder.”

“I know you do.” He kisses the palm of her hand, rains down tiny kisses to her wrist. “You’re sure it’s nothing else, Scully? Nothing you should have checked out?”

“Mulder, I had a check up two months ago. You were there. It’s just the flu. Wait a few days until you come down with it.”

“I don’t mind,” he says truthfully. “I’ll gladly suffer. But I hate seeing you sick, Scully. I don’t want you to suffer.”

“Mulder, you’re making me even sicker,” she says, grins. He realizes that he’s been talking shit and smiles back at her. “And I don’t like to see you suffer either. Mostly because you tell me every five seconds how bad everything is.”

“I’ll behave.”

“You won’t,” she whispers. “But I wouldn’t want you to anyway. Now get in here, Mulder. I need to be warm.”

“Your wish is my command,” Mulder says and crawls into bed. He holds Scully until her breathing evens out and he knows she is asleep. He rests his eyes, but wills himself not to fall asleep. Until his two women wake up, until he has to do it all over again. And gladly so.


End file.
